Perhaps a little digression from all the serious talk recently. A few
weeks ago I suddenly realized that the title track of Pentangle's Cruel
Sister is the same (rather grotesque) story as "Harpen", one of the best
known Norwegian medieval ballads.
Obviously, neither Pentangle's version nor the "official" Norwegian are
originals - Pentangle's is clearly late 16th Century, while the ones you
find in Norwegian collections are even more recent. Also, the ballad
seems to have some stylistic traits that suggest it's neither British
nor Norwegian originally.
Does anybody have any information about the ballad?
Frank Nordberg
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Here's the Pentangle ballad. My stone disk player is a bit unreliable at
the moment, so I had to write down the music from memory, but I think I
got it right.
Oh, and by the way - this one is sure to get messed up in the e mail.
But I couldn't find *any* way to get the words through in a way that
abc2ps could figure out :-(
X:1
T:Cruel sister
C:anon.
O:Scotland?
N:Based on Pentangle's recording (written down from memory)
Z:Transcribed by Frank Nordberg - http://www.musicaviva.com
M:3/4
L:1/8
Q:1/4=88
K:Dm
%Verses 1 and 3:
z A, DE|"Dm"F>F EF GF|"A"E3 z FG|"F"A2AG A<c|"A"A2zA AG|
w:There lived a lad-y by the North Sea shore. (Lay the bent to the
bon-nie broom) Two daught-ers
"Dm"F3(E/F/) GF|"C"E3 z "Dm"D E/F/|"C"GF E<C "Dm"D>E|"Dm"D2|]
w:were the_ babes she bore (Fa la la la la la la la la la)
%Other verses:
z A, DE|"Dm"F3(E/F/) GF|"A"E3 z FG|"F"A2AG A<c|"A"A2zA AG|
w:As one grew bright as in the sun, (Lay the bent to the bon-nie broom)
so coal black
"Dm"F3(E/F/) GF|"C"E3 z "Dm"D E/F/|"C"GF E<C "Dm"D>E|"Dm"D2|]
w:grew the_ oth-er one. (Fa la la la la la la la la la)
W:
W:There lived a lady by the North Sea shore.
W: Lay the bent to the bonnie broom
W:Two daughters were the babes she bore.
W: Fa la la la la la la la la la
W:
W:As one grew bright as in the sun,
W:so coal black grew the other one.
W:
W:A knight came riding to the lady's door.
W:He'd travelled far to be their wooer.
W:
W:He courted one with gloves and rings,
W:but loved the other above all things.
W:
W:Oh sister will you go with me
W:to watch the ships sail on the sea?
W:
W:She took her sister by the hand
W:and led her down to the North Sea strand.
W:
W:And as they stood on the windy shore,
W:the dark girl threw her sister o'er.
W:
W:Sometimes she sank, sometimes she swam,
W:crying "sister, reach to me your hand.
W:
W:Oh sister, sister let me live,
W:and all that's mine I'll surely give."
W:
W:"It's your truelove I'll have and more,
W:but thou shalt never come ashore."
W:
W:And there she floated like a swan.
W:The salt sea bore her body on.
W:
W:Two minstrels walked along the strand
W:and saw the maiden float to land.
W:
W:They made a harp of her breast bone
W:whose sound would melt a heart of stone.
W:
W:They took three locks of her yellow hair
W:and with them strung the harp so rare.
W:
W:They went into her father's hall
W:to play the harp before them all.
W:
W:But as they laid it on a stone,
W:the harp began to play alone.
W:
W:The first string sang a doleful sound;
W:The bride her younger sister drwoned.
W:
W:The second string as that they tried,
W:in terror sits the black-haired bride.
W:
W:The third string sang beneath their bow,
W:and surely now her tears will flow.
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